Where Marie-Jeanne and Ron give young artists a stage
She is a Groningen native who lived briefly in the South, he a Limburger who came to Groningen when he was 11. Marie-Jeanne Ameln and Ron Ritzerfeld found each other in their passion for quirky and bold art. Now they run art space togetherSIGN on the Winschoterkade. Here they give young artists a stage and strengthen Groningen's art scene.
It all started with Marie-Jeanne. She graduated from Minerva in 1985 and, through a friend, got the chance to do something with the former premises of butcher's shop Hofker in 1988. "I was actually quite naive back then, driving all over the country in my father's car to watch final exams of art students". In 1993, she invited Ron to exhibit at SIGN and that's where their collaboration began. And now, 35 years later, SIGN has become a place where all kinds of art forms come together. All created and conceived by budding artists from across the country or beyond.
Collaboration
SIGN's art doesn't just keep itself between the walls of the art space; Marie-Jeanne and Ron also do other projects, such as Project Grassland, where they are currently working with artist Koos Buist on a meadow in Ezinge. Here, four artists are doing all kinds of things with the landscape and the ground. But the art space also seeks other collaborations, for instance with the experimental music festival Sounds of Music and with Eurosonic Noorderslag. "The combination of young visual artists and music works very well" beams Marie-Jeanne.
Sign is also part of Noordenaars, a platform for art initiatives in the Northern Netherlands. "The lines here in Groningen are fortunately short, if you want something you can often get it quickly" says Marie-Jeanne. "And the collaborations outside Groningen are also particularly important. Because we also bring in artists from elsewhere in the country, this in turn attracts people from elsewhere in the country. Gradually your network expands with that and so does your fame," Ron adds.
Hospitable as an art space
Marie-Jeanne and Ron think it is important to be accessible. The art space is open six days a week, which means you can actually come in at any time. The vast majority of visitors are interested in art, but everyone is welcome! "It also really depends on what we exhibit. For instance, a year and a half ago we had a project here where the art space was turned into a laundrette. People could do laundry for free and then a very diverse crowd came in," laughs Ron. "That was great fun, people came in with their laundry but then didn't know how they got it back. Sometimes people got a little screen print on their trousers or something was embroidered on the clothes" smiles Marie-Jeanne.
Whether Groningers are too down-to-earth for art? Not at all states Marie-Jeanne. "I notice that in Ezinge too: if you tell about the project, people always find it interesting. We try to look outside our bubble as much as possible and that is possible because we have this nice place in the middle of the city, because we do things in public spaces and on location and have collaborations."
Favourite spot
The connection between the rural and the urban is something that makes Groningen beautiful, according to Marie-Jeanne and Ron. But they also often hear back from artists that they love the compactness of the city. "I do often hear from artists from the Randstad that they love Groningen and that they miss its cosiness and laid-back atmosphere" says Marie-Jeanne. The duo themselves love the Forum. "Yes that is really beyond expectations. At first I was afraid it would be a cold building but the opposite turns out to be true" informs Ron.
This entrepreneurial portrait was made as part of the Gastvrij Groningen programme. The Gastvrij Groningen programme is run by Marketing Groningen and implemented and financed on behalf of The Fund for Enterprising Groningen, the Municipality of Groningen and Groningen Bereikbaar. Koninklijke Horeca Nederland and the four Groningen business associations: Groningen City Club, Bedrijvenvereniging West, Bedrijvenvereniging Zuidoost and Bedrijvenvereniging Noordoost are also involved in the programme.